I live in the Harbord…

I live in the Harbord Village neighbourhood with my family. I ride along the Bloor street bike lane between Bathurst and University multiple times a week as I drop my kids off at school. After safely dropping my kids off, I ride south on University either stopping at the University of Toronto for classes or passing by Queens Park as I continue to Adelaide St where my office is located. On the weekends, we use the Bloor bike lane to explore nature near the DVP in the east end or at High Park in the west end of the city.

My family uses the bike lanes that are under threat by Bill 212 almost daily, all year round.

My eldest daughter recently learned to ride a bike and is now also a regular user of this critical piece of Toronto infrastructure. The bike lanes provide peace of mind that my kids and I can navigate the city safely and effectively.

This summer, the upgrade of the University bike lanes made my commute from Bloor to Adelaide smoother and safer. In contrast to traveling the same distance along Bay where there is no dedicated bike lane, on University there is now no need to dodge delivery trucks, weave around parked cars, or deal with dangerously large potholes. The bike lanes provide me with the comfort that I will be able to commute to work and make it safely home to my kids in the evening. Removing the bike lanes around Queens Park will make it significantly more dangerous for myself and the many other bike commuters who rely on this corridor. Removal of these bike lanes will inevitably result in cyclist injury and fatality.

I do not have the luxury of using a car to transport my kids to school or myself to work on a daily basis. My family relies heavily on our bicycles to live and work in the centre of Toronto. Removal of the proposed bike lanes puts the safety of my entire family at risk.